Secret Hudson (A Finding Nolan Novel Book 2)

by K. S. Thomas

  “I knew I liked you, Kieran Hudson. I’ll make sure you have a contract in your hands by noon tomorrow.” She tugged me back toward the rest of the party. “Now let’s see about getting some food on that table. I don’t know about you, but I’m starving.”

  Chapter 5

  I was starting to regret having left Hudson alone with Ava. Judging by her expression, she was having herself a good little rant and I wasn’t entirely convinced he deserved to be at the other end of one of those just yet.

  “Never mind babysitting me, Blaise. I think you’d be better off going back and putting the reins on your girlfriend.”

  He had just taken a big swig from his water bottle and about choked on it laughing. “Yeah, okay. Let me run right over there and do that.”

  “What are we laughing about?” Angel. How the hell he kept creeping up on me without my noticing I didn’t know, but I wasn’t digging it.

  “Royce wants me to go and, how did you put it? Put the reins on Ava?” Blaise was still chuckling as he lifted the bottle back to his lips.

  “Why? What’s she doing now?” Angel was jerking his head back and forth trying to get a clear view of Ava and Hudson through the crowd.

  “From the looks of it, she’s fucking yelling at him.” I took a dramatic drink of the coke I’d settled for in lieu of booze, and for the first time I truly regretted having given up alcohol to support Blaise in his sobriety.

  “Well, he must be into that sort of thing then, because he’s smiling. Oh, wait. I think they’re done talking. She’s bringing him over this way.” Angel quickly turned his back toward them. We were like fucking high school kids. Except, ironically, back in high school, none of us had ever acted this ridiculous. We’d been way more mature back then.

  “Where’s Derek? I have an announcement I want to make. It’s official business so I want you all here.” Ava was scanning the room for him.

  “He stepped outside. Sammy called.” Angel was looking down at his feet as he said it. We all knew why. Derek’s marriage had hit a snag a few months back and this tour wasn’t helping matters any. Lately it seemed like she was calling every fifteen minutes just to start a fight with him.

  “Alright. No big deal. I can wait. In the meantime, Angel, have you met Hudson? Between his talent behind the lens and his mad coffee making skills, he may be my new favorite person.” Most people would have thought she was joking, but they didn’t know how strongly she felt about her coffee.

  “Hey man, heard you saved these two this morning. Good lookin’ out.” Angel was shaking Hudson’s hand appreciatively. Finally, a member of my fucked up family I could count on. “Word to the wise though, Ava can’t get down with that much caffeine on an empty stomach.”

  Hudson grinned. “So I’ve heard. I’ll be sure to keep that in mind.”

  “Not like he’ll have to. The best barista in town is retiring and stepping up to the camera full time.” She gave him a celebratory pat on the back, and I wondered if anyone else had caught the frown she was trying so hard to suppress. One look over at Blaise and I knew I hadn’t been the only one to notice. “Anyway, you boys get better acquainted and I’m going to see about getting the dinner portion of this dinner party started.” And away she went, flitting off into the small crowd of people all hovering around the long table in hopes of eating soon.

  The four of us stood in an uncomfortable silence for what seemed like an eternity, but was probably just the longest ten seconds of my life. Blaise was the first to make a breakaway. “You know, I was supposed to have a little meet and greet with that morning show DJ. What was his name? Donnie Magic? I better go do that before it’s too late.” And then there were three.

  Angel’s eyes darted back and forth between myself and Hudson for a second. “I think I’m going to go and track down Derek. Let him know it’s almost time to eat. I’m sure he could use a good excuse to get off the phone right about now.” Two.

  Teetering back and forth on my feet, I gave Hudson a sideways glance and even managed a half-smile. “You didn’t pick up on how totally obvious that was, did you?”

  He laughed. “Not at all. They weren’t trying to get us alone together, were they?”

  I grinned sheepishly. “They mean well. They’re just...”

  “No, they’re great, Royce.” And for some weird-ass reason, I think he really meant it.

  “Yeah. They are actually. So, got any loudmouthed, tactless and lacking in subtlety friends of your own we could invite to level the playing field a bit?”

  He tipped his head back and made a face. Even when he was being a total goof he was fucking gorgeous. “Uh, there’s my mother. But that wouldn’t exactly even things out. It would just catapult you straight into the lead.”

  “I’d be good with that. Let’s call her.” God, this was awesome. Standing there. Talking. Laughing. It was so easy.

  “Ha, yeah. Think I’ll save that for the next time.” He winked and I was both disappointed and relieved that Ava hadn’t been around to hear him imply that we’d be seeing more of each other, and that I’d be meeting his mother.

  “Fair enough.” Behind him I could see Ava waving her arm back and forth trying to get everyone’s attention. Considering she was only five foot three in a room filled with mostly men who all towered over her by a minimum of six inches, it wasn’t surprising Blaise jumped in to back her up, letting out a whistle that cut right through the murmur of conversations.

  “Oh, thanks, babe. Alright, everyone. Let’s eat!”

  Dinner flew by with massive amounts of food being brought to the table every five minutes in true Ava fashion. Personally, I was pretty sure she only ordered so much to have an excuse to feed random homeless people after every meal of the day. I couldn’t even count the amount of times she’d had Darrel pull over on a moment’s notice to hand out to-go boxes and cash anytime she spotted someone standing on the side of the road with a cardboard sign.

  Although everyone was sitting within inches of each other, with the main topic of conversation being the band, it was impossible to try and talk to Hudson even though he was seated directly across from me. Of course, that had its perks at least, since he made eye contact with me and smiled anytime someone said something funny.

  I tried to tell myself I was only rebounding from Garrett and therefore going out of my way to convince myself Hudson and I had a connection, in hopes that it would make me feel better about Garrett screwing that old fuck. But on some level I knew it was bullshit because I’d only even remembered the whole Garrett debacle after I’d searched my analytical brain for a rational reason for the feelings swarming to the pit of my stomach, and below, anytime Hudson smiled at me. A rational reason. One that was more reliable than the ridiculous prospect of falling for a guy I’d only just met that morning. Except it was that ridiculous prospect that felt truer than anything else I’d been able to come up with.

  After dinner, the boys and I had to make the rounds to say our polite goodbyes before Ava shuttled each of us out of the building and into the limo waiting out back. I was pleasantly surprised to find Hudson already sitting in it when I climbed in.

  “Damn, that was a long dinner party.” Ava was crawling over Angel’s lap to get to Blaise. When she finally got the seat she wanted she looked around the limo, grinning from ear to ear. “Finally. All my boys in one place and no interruptions in sight.”

  Naturally, Derek’s phone began to vibrate loudly, followed up by Sammy’s newest ringtone, Eminem’s Crazy In Love, blasting through the car.

  Everyone jumped forward in unison, prepared to tackle the damn phone from his hands, but he beat us to it when he rolled down the window and threw the thing out into the street while we cruised along at a steady fifty plus miles per hour.

  Angel leaned back into his seat, shaking his head. “That wasn’t smart.”

  “Fuck it. I’ll get a new phone tomorrow.” This shit was taking its toll on Derek and I wondered what it was doing to Sammy.

 
Angel pointed out toward the road behind us. “Dude, you better hope that shit got busted. If someone picks it up we’re all going to have to get new phones tomorrow.”

  Derek closed his eyes, banging the back of his head against the seat behind him. “Shit. I hadn’t even thought of that.” He ran his fingers over his face. “I have fucking pictures on there, too. Motherfucker. Why is she doing this?”

  I tapped his foot with mine to get his attention. “Hey, man. No way that phone survived. I mean, look at all the traffic. That shit’s been run over like a hundred times already. Plus, you’ve got a lock on it, right? Besides, no one would be able tell it was yours just by looking at it. Whoever finds it, if anyone finds it, they’ll probably just toss it.”

  He still didn’t look convinced. “You better be right. Otherwise, I might as well call a divorce attorney right now.”

  Ava scowled. “What kind of fucking pictures do you have on there? Are you messing around on Sammy?” Crazy bitch or not, the girl was still family. For now.

  Judging by the confused expression on Derek’s face, the thought of cheating had never even crossed his mind. Not that I’d have expected otherwise. Guys who ran out and got married at twenty didn’t tend to have much interest in sleeping around. Derek was the type of dude who genuinely enjoyed being a husband. Took pride in it. Which was making this whole thing with Sammy that much harder to watch.

  “The pictures are of fucking Sammy! She’s probably sending me shots of her naked tits right now trying to make up for being a total twat earlier. With all of the fighting we’ve been doing lately, I get an eyeful of vagina every time I open up a text message these days. My phone’s stocked up with more tits and ass than the fucking playboy mansion, and if those pictures get leaked, my marriage is fucking over.”

  I’d stopped listening after ‘eyeful of vagina’. “Meanwhile, how about a fucking heads up about that shit! What if one of us had picked up your phone by accident? I don’t know about everyone else, but I have no desire to have images of Sammy’s pussy permanently deposited in my memory bank.”

  I heard Ava giggle from my left and Derek’s face fell. “Dude, seriously?”

  “What? You didn’t know Royce was scared of the lady parts?” She twisted around and leaned forward to address Hudson who up until now had remained completely silent, probably out of fear. “Hey Hudson, I gotta know. Do vaginas scare you, too?”

  He laughed. “Um. I don’t have any desire to get up close and personal with one, but no, in general I don’t find them frightening.”

  Ava shot me a satisfied grin. “See?”

  “See what? That not all gay men have the same outlook on one particular topic? Yeah, that’s a real shocker, Ava.”

  “Alright, alright,” Blaise moved forward in his seat, while simultaneously moving Ava back into hers, “Although I hate to break up what was sure to be a very stimulating conversation about vaginas and gay stereotyping, how about we go back to the opening topic. Babe, do you even remember what that was anymore?”

  Shit. I didn’t.

  She huffed indignantly. “Of course I remember.” Then her usual smile returned as she brought everyone’s attention over to Hudson. “For those of you who have been unable to participate and do not know,” she cleared her throat loudly, “Derek.” Then she went on, “This is Kieran Hudson. He’ll be joining us for the remainder of the tour as our photographer.”

  Angel piped up first. “No offense, but why exactly do we need a photographer?”

  “Because a major publishing house wants to put out a book about the band and I’ve decided the least intrusive and most honest way to do that is to have it consist primarily of images. Hudson will be around twenty-four seven to take shots of anything and everything he deems lens worthy. Trust me on this, the guy has an eye like you wouldn’t even believe.” She sounded overly dramatic, but I’d seen his work. I knew she right. “Anyway, we’ll retain rights to every picture and after the tour, I’ll go through them with Hudson to decide which ones to present to the publisher.”

  So. She’d really done it. She’d bought me a fucking boyfriend. Yet another reason to be scared of vaginas and anything that came attached to one.

  ***

  Holy mother of God. I was in a limo. With Finding Nolan. Something I was now apparently going to be doing on the regular. The whole band was fucking nuts. And not in the crazy, all rockers are eccentric sort of way, hopped up on drugs and non-stop sex. These people were completely fucking sober and still out of their ever loving minds.

  It was insanely obvious that these five people knew each other inside and out. They didn’t hold back. They knew no boundaries, kept no secrets and were completely unaware of the concept of privacy. I should have felt like a total outsider in their midst, catching a secret glimpse of the inside celebrity world belonging to one of the hottest bands around. But I didn’t. Somehow, sitting there, completely and unapologetically exposed to their antics, I felt totally accepted. I was one of them. For however brief a moment in time it would be, right then and there, I belonged.

  If all of that wasn’t enough to blow your motherfucking mind, there was Royce Lemmi. The hottest man to walk the face of the earth. Ever. I couldn’t even count the number of nights I’d spent at my computer, poring over hundreds of images, working and editing for hours on end while drowning myself in the sounds of Royce strumming that bass of his to the point that I could literally feel the vibration of his music surging through my body. Maybe it was because we were both artists in our own right, or maybe I was just so fucking lonely at the time, but I’d convinced myself that I could recognize every single emotion as it reached me through the deep melody of his instrument.

  Royce had given me strength during times I’d needed it most and I hadn’t even met him yet. It was surreal. Seeing him in person now. Hearing his voice. Being at the receiving end of his smile. After our initial meeting I’d worried that lines between reality and fantasy would blur. That I’d never be sure if what I was feeling was because of the man in front of me, or the one who’d been haunting my fantasies for so long. I realized now that it was stupid. There was no comparing who I’d imagined him to be to who he actually was. Not that I knew him all that well after one day, but in just this brief time I’d already seen things in him I’d never have dreamed up on my own.

  His friendship with Ava, for starters. It was pretty damn clear that beneath the constant bickering and insults, they shared a genuine love and connection. They had the sort of friendship that could make a man insecure about his place in Royce’s world, if one was ever lucky enough to find themselves there. At the same time, I knew if I ever wound up standing beside him, I’d be happy to see her on the other end, keeping him safe and loved in the middle. Everyone deserved a friendship like theirs. Most of us just didn’t ever find ourselves in one.

  Then there was his sense of humor. Royce was funny. Not in a jokester kind of way that got to be annoying after a while, but in a sarcastic and witty way that made you think, and kept you on your toes. It was enough to make you want to stick around him and listen closely, just to see what he might say next.

  But beyond that, more than any other quality and characteristic I’d seen thus far, the one that was tugging at my heartstrings so early in the game was a lingering hurt and insecurity. He hid it well, but in moments of quiet exchanges between us when no one else was around, I’d seen it, flickering in his eyes. I knew the second I saw it I wanted to find the source of his pain and squash it the same way he’d done for me in the past. Even if he hadn’t done it intentionally, or even knew he’d done it at all.

  Chapter 6

  Gary, our stage manager, was pacing back and forth impatiently when we finally arrived at the venue.

  “Jesus, Mary and Joseph, Ava! Are you trying to give me a heart attack?”

  I gave him a pat on his protruding belly as I went by. “Sure you’re directing that question at the right person, Gary? Might want to ask the next person who takes your ord
er at Jack in the Box. See what they say.”

  He made a face and grumbled something, then he saw Hudson. “Whoa, hey now. Who’s this dude and where’s his pass?”

  “Relax, Gary. He’s cool.”

  “He still needs a goddamned pass,” he huffed, but it was directed at Ava so I just kept walking and gestured for Hudson to do the same.

  “Keep your panties on. I’ve got some in the dressing room. Just haven’t made it back there yet.” Ava gave Gary a quick kiss on the cheek. “His name’s Hudson by the way. He’ll be with the band until further notice, so no giving him shit if you spot him without a pass again. Just pretend he’s wearing one, got it shoved in his back pocket or tattooed to his chest. He’s legit. Part of the team, got it?”

  Gary nodded. “You’re the boss. Now can we get this fucking sound check going before the arena fills up?”

  “We’re on it.” Angel waved his drumsticks in the air, which was the equivalent to a thumbs up for him, and we all followed Gary down through the long hall leading out to the stage.

  Even without turning around, I could feel Hudson walking right behind me. Well, smell him was more like it. His cologne had been slowly torturing me ever since I’d gotten close enough to him to pick up on it. A few times I’d thought I’d recognized the scent as being the same one Derek wore, and maybe it was, but it had other tantalizing traits to it that made me want to inhale him in ways I’d never once considered doing to Derek.